


A House Is Not A Home

by mnm_moons



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Good Guy Deceit, Highschool AU, Homelessness, Human AU, Im bad at summaries sgxgsgx pls take a read, M/M, There will be sensitive topics, angsty jokes, best described as, better to joke about your problems i guess, but since i dont really have anything planned thats set in stone and i write along the way, deceit is Not Abusive in this fic, he doesnt judge but hes really theatrical, hes pretty suspicious tho👀👀, i cant say which will be in the story, im boring and predictable but i'll try not to be this time, im honestly lucky to just be gay and a teen, its hard in the streets, more to be added - Freeform, patton makes cookies and is generally just such a kind dude, questionable morals deceit, roman is a theater loser and i love him very much, roman is kind and hes quick to trust, roman is my son, struggles as a gay teen on the streets, there are going to be heavy subjects but that doesnt mean there wont be jokes, there will not be any noncon or anything like that though, they have gen z humor because as a gen z i feel happiest when im laughing about being depressed, trigger warnings will be posted before each chapter dont worry :), virgil is homeless and he faces struggles, virgil is very defensive and secretive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-06-26 22:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19778083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnm_moons/pseuds/mnm_moons
Summary: Virgil is a young teen living in the streets with nothing but the goodness of strangers in his favor.Living without a home is something he's used to, but what he's not used to is catching a conversation with Roman Prince, a highschool student who somehow mistakes Virgil as a student who attends his school.Virgil finds himself as a pretend student at Sanders High, with a pretend life as someone with a pretend home, working on a pretend assignment with a very real Roman Prince.





	1. Chapter One: Lies and Falsehoods

**Author's Note:**

> !!! : this is not meant to romanticise the struggles people living in the streets face and if it ever seems like it is, please tell me in the comments because i dont want to make homelessness feel like something that isnt a problem for a lot of people. thank you :)

There's a difference between lies and falsehoods, although being incredibly similar. Lies, they're defined as an act to spread misinformation purposefully, but falsehoods… they're defined spread misinformation, but not always purposefully. If you know you're telling someone something wrong, or purposefully omitting something from a person or people, then you're lying. But if you don't know what you're doing when you're telling someone the wrong thing, it's a falsehood- you didn't mean it and you weren't aware of it.

Virgil was perfectly aware what he was doing was lying.

On Thursdays, seventeen-year-old Virgil liked to sit in one of the hidden seating areas in Ideate City Library, sometimes reading some fantasy novels he'd found on a random shelf, and other times studying something he found interesting or useful.

  
On Thursdays, Virgil liked to wake up early to catch Patton Knight's shift in his cafe bakery to get a fresh piece of bread from the owner (and some coffee if he was lucky.) He liked to hang out and eat his bread outside of the library as he waited for it to open and he liked to offer whatever pastries he had to the librarian, Miss Morris.  
  
On Thursdays, Virgil liked to leave the library just before 7pm to make his way to the homeless shelter and see if they had any more space for him. Usually, the shelter didn't, but sometimes, if Joan and Talyn were volunteering that night, they'd sneak Virgil an empty janitor's closet, which Virgil appreciated.  
  
On most Thursdays, as a teen living on the streets with nothing but the goodness of strangers on his side, Virgil was lucky to be alive.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to hang out for a while?" Patton Knight, the owner of _All Or Muffin: Cafe and Bakery_ offered, resting his round and freckled face on his hand as he stared at Virgil intently.  
  
Virgil met Patton's caramel eyes with his own dark chocolate ones apologetically. "Sorry, Pat," he sighed. "If I don't leave for the Sanders High now, I might be late."  
  
_Lie_ , a voice in Virgil's head informed the teen as if Virgil wasn't aware of his own words. _There's no school for a boy in the streets._  
  
Patton pouted but sighed dramatically. "Alright," the baker relented, pushing his circle rimmed glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Would you like some cookies with you on the way? I'm experimenting with crofters jam in my pastries for my husband and I wanted you to taste them, too!"  
  
Virgil smiled sweetly. "I'd love some, and I'm sure your husband would love them. Your baking goes unrivaled, Pat. Thank you."  
  
Patton grinned at the compliment, passing Virgil a bag of cookies and sending Virgil on his way. "Have a good day at school, Virgil."  
  
Virgil tried not to wince. "Yeah," he said. "School."

* * *

By the time Virgil had gotten to the Ideate City Library, the cookies in his hand had grown cool and the coffee in his other hand was cold. The teen in the ripped black jeans and worn out hoodie didn't mind. A drink was a drink and food was food.  
  
He took a sip of his cold coffee and entered the building, waving a hand at the librarian who nodded in greeting. Virgil raised the bag of cookies, silently offering some to the librarian. The librarian only shook her head.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Morris," Virgil smiled.  
  
"A great morning to you, too, Virgil. What can I help you with today?"  
  
"Uhm...." He searched for a last name in his head and settled with Patton's. "For Mr. Knight's science class I have to learn about, uhm, psychology"  
  
Miss Morris gave Virgil a thoughtful look. "The feelings or logic side?"  
  
"Feelings," Virgil answered picking whichever of the two sounded more interesting.  
  
"Try _The Science Of Emotions_ , by Jameson Wright," Miss Morris suggested. "It should be on the science shelves on the back."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
And with that, Virgil's day was spent reading up on the science of feelings, his eyes wandering to the clock above him every now and then. It was 3:30. School for teens who had a place to go home to would have been over.  
  
Virgil sighed and got back on his book, forcing himself to stay immersed in whatever the book was currently on about.  
  
It was another twenty minutes when he heard the chair next to him get pulled back and a teen about his age sit down next to him. Virgil froze.  
  
The teen who had sat next to him was attractive, yes, with hazelnut hair, captivating mocha eyes, and tanned, freckled skin, but Virgil wasn't focusing on that - he was more or less confused about why the teen in the white and red letterman jacket had chosen to sit _next to him_ .  
  
It was when the teen met Virgil's eyes with his own when Virgil realized he was staring. Flustered, he turned his head back on his book, but his attention was no longer on the worn out pages.  
  
"Same assignment?"  
  
Virgil jumped, looking up from the pages of his book to the teen who had spoken. "Uh, wha-?"  
  
The teen gave Virgil a blinding white smile, holding up his own book, which was the exact same Virgil had on his hands. "Same assignment?" He repeated with a melodic voice. "You have accelerated science, yeah? Sanders High?"  
  
Virgil blinked. Oh. _Oh_ . This was a _school_ thing. "Uhm, uh, yeah," he forced out, faking a smile.  
  
"Which teacher do you have?" The teen further questioned.  
  
Virgil flinched. Which name did he tell the librarian, again? "Mr. Knight?"  
  
"Oh, dude, _Logan_ ?" Virgil nodded like he knew who that was, relieved that there even _was_ a Mr. Knight who wasn't Patton. "I have him, too! Fifth period, though. Honestly, I'm convinced he's trying to fail me."   
  
Virgil faked a laugh. "Uh, yeah, same," he went along, grin on his face forced.  
  
"Hey, have we met?" The freckled boy fixed Virgil with a confused look, grinning wide but with an eyebrow raised sincerely.   
  
"I- I don't think so?" He answered, uncertain.  
  
"Huh. The name's Roman, then. Roman Prince, but you might already know that." The teen - Roman - struck a pose which Virgil supposed was meant to look princely.  
  
Virgil raised an eyebrow. _Should_ he have known Roman? "No, why would I know that?"  
  
Roman frowned, looking just as confused. He guessed he _should_ have known Roman.  
  
"I- I mean, yeah!" Virgil backtracked, feeling like he did something wrong. "Yeah, I, uh, know that! Roman Prince, how could I forget!"  
  
Roman's smile went back up his face, albeit less energetic and playful. "No, it's okay, I can't expect everyone to know me. Big school, after all. What about you, though? Have a name?"  
  
Virgil froze and laughed nervously, fiddling with the sleeves of his hoodie. Should he introduce himself? He technically _already_ lied about going to Roman's school? Would it be safe to introduce himself honestly? He bit his tongue and sighed. It couldn't hurt.  
  
"Virgil," he replied truthfully, forcing out a grin that looked more like a grimace if anything. Yeah, he was definitely not fooling anyone. But Roman continued, unphased.  
  
"Got a last name, Virgil?"  
  
Virgil flinched. _Gray_ , a voice reminded him. _Virgil Gray._ The name was enough to make him wince. "Yeah," he answered simply, not further elaborating.  
  
Roman was wise enough not to press on, instead changing the subject. "So, what do you think of the assignment?" He quizzed.  
  
Despite himself, Virgil felt like this was some sort of interrogation. He knew it wasn't, he just felt like it was. Virgil turned to look at Roman. He shrugged, trying his best to play it cool.  
  
"If I'm honest, I've forgotten what assignment is what," he tried to joke, although his words came with some prolonged pauses within them. "Which one is this one, again?"  
  
Roman laughed, not seeming to mind Virgil's obvious nervousness.  
  
_Okay, it's going well, he's laughing, it's okay._  
  
"No, seriously," Virgil continued, smiling along, gaining confidence as he went along. "Which one is this and why am I reading this book for?"  
  
Roman laughed harder before gaining composure. "That's a mood and a half, but if you need reminding, this one's pretty straightforward. Choose an emotion and write an essay about the scientific workings of that emotion."  
  
Virgil nodded, happy Roman supplied him with more information. "What emotion are you writing about?"  
  
Roman spread his arms out and gestured to nowhere in particular. "Love!" He answered gleefully.  
  
"Isn't love more of a feeling than emotion?" Virgil asked, smiling at Roman's big gesture.  
  
"Who cares, it's love."  
  
Virgil snorted.  
  
Roman grinned. "What are _you_ writing about?"  
  
Virgil paused to think about what he'd be writing an essay for, if he were a normal teen in a normal school with a normal life. He shrugged and gave Roman a blank look. "Guilt?"   
  
Roman grinned. "I can practically feel the sob story behind that," he joked, only grinning half heartedly.  
  
"What is my life if not an ongoing sob story," Virgil sighed, only laughing half heartedly.  
  
The two laughed either way, at least until the sound sound of a high pitched bell disrupted their comfortable atmosphere, followed by a phone vibration .  
  
Roman dug into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Virgil couldn't help but wince at the sight of the electronic. God, it looked expensive. The tanned teen gave Virgil an apologetic look as he stared into the glowing screen, coffee eyes scanning illuminated text before groaning and burying his head deep into his calloused hand.  
  
"What's wrong?" Virgil asked, not helping but feel worried.  
  
Roman took his head from his hands and looked at Virgil tragically. "I forgot I had theater rehearsals today," he explained.  
  
Virgil raised an amused brow. "You're a _theater_ kid?"  
  
"Only the best drama queen in drama business, baby." The theater nerd in question shot Virgil finger guns, making him laugh. "Anyway, sorry but I have to go."  
  
"Oh." Virgil tried his best not to look disappointed. "Okay."  
  
"Oh, hey!" Roman exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "What if we meet again tomorrow? Library, same time, same place? We could help each other on the essay?"  
  
Virgil bit his lower lip. _Yes, my pretend essay on my pretend school. Wonderful._ "Uhm.... Yeah I'd like that." _What?! Oh, Virgil you're digging your grave!_  
  
A sinking feeling whelmed up in Virgil's gut, but when Roman beamed, he almost forgot what he'd just agreed to. "Great! See you tomorrow, Virgil."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Virgil stared as Roman walked away in a rush. He sighed to himself. _Oh,_ Virgil, the voice in his head drawled unhelpfully, _you're in deep shit now._


	2. Chapter Two: Horror And Terror

Terror versus horror.

There's a hazy line between the two, but to put it simply _t_ _error_ is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that _precedes_ the horrifying experience. By contrast, _horror_ is the feeling of revulsion that usually _follows_ a frightening sight, sound, or otherwise experience.

See, usually when one is afraid of something happening _before_ it actually happens, they're terrified. Much like how someone might feel when a secret they're in possession of and want to keep to themselves is in jeopardy of being revealed. They are _terrified_ of anyone finding out. It's a _terrifying_ situation.

However, if someone's closely guarded secret has _already_ been revealed, then horror is usually used. They're _horrified_ that, despite their best efforts, they failed in keeping a secret. They are in a _horrifying_ situation.

The words are synonyms, yes, and they are interchangeable. Honestly, the whole thing kinda confused Virgil, but one thing Virgil was sure of was he was _terrified_. 

"How could I have _done_ that?!" 

Virgil paced in front of the library, three hours after the initial shock had worn off. He _lied unnecessarily_ , and for what? What could he have gotten out of it? Virgil frowned, groaning as he let his hand mess up his dark brown hair and his legs folded so he was sitting on the floor next to a bench.

The sun was setting, he observed. The clock in the entrance to the library read 7:10. The bus would be arriving on his stop in ten minutes. Virgil forced himself up defeatedly, beginning his walk to the stop. He frowned. His bus pass would expire at the end of the month.

When the bus he'd hopped onto stopped a block away from the shelter, Virgil stepped out into the crisp night air, thanking his hoodie for the protection. The teen counted his steps as he walked on the dry pavement, ignoring the sound of passing cars and stepping out of the way of strangers who might happen to be walking on his side of the pavement too. 

Virgil rounded the corner and found himself standing in front of the shelter, smiling when he caught sight of brightly dyed hair and a familiar orange beanie. 

Joan and Talyn were volunteering tonight. 

"Virgil!" Joan exclaimed.

Virgil smiled in greeting. "Joan! Any space?"

They smiled dopily. "Yes, actually. _And_ they're serving soup in the cafeteria today, so don't even think about sleeping hungry."

"Try not to miss the class today," Talyn added, offering a grin which Virgil returned. "It's on employment. So you could maybe support yourself with some extra cash."

"Thanks, guys." Virgil beamed at the both of them. "I appreciate it."

He couldn't help but smile at the pair of volunteers, his grin stretching widely. Two good people. Those were rare these days. "I'm so lucky to have met the two of you."

Joan and Talon returned the smile, softer and more gentle. Like old friends welcoming Virgil back to a hometown or something. "Feeling's mutual, Virge."

Virgil felt something warm inside himself. It felt like happy. Or maybe content. 

* * *

"Kiddo!"

Not even a second after Virgil stepped into the bakery, a bright blue blur had him tackled locked in a tight hug. Virgil stiffened before melting into the touch, recognizing the baker and laughing at Patton's antics. 

"I missed you so much, kiddo," Patton sighed, letting Virgil go. The teen couldn't help but miss the warm blanket of safety Patton's hug offered him. The baker smelled like vanilla extract.

"I was _just_ here yesterday," Virgil laughed. "And the day before that. And every day for the past six months before that."

"True, but you're missing one valuable fact: it felt like forrreeeveer," the baker drawled dramatically, handing a laughing Virgil a cookie. "You were right, by the way."

"Hm?" 

"He loved the cookies, my husband, I mean."

Virgil gave Patton a sincere smile. "Anyone who doesn't is insane. I do have to head out now, though."

The baker's bright face contorted to form a pout. "You just got here! And it's _Friday_ , Virgil, we only ever hang out on Fridays."

An apologetic look crossed Virgil's face. "I promised someone I'd meet up with them for a project in the library," he explained sheepishly.

That was a truth, Virgil noticed. Not a full one, but still _at_ _least_ _half_ a truth. It was refreshing.

Patton's pout turned into a mischievous and questioning look. " _Oh_?" There was a playful edge to his voice that implied something _._ "Meeting up with _someone_? _After school_ on a _Friday_? To work on a _project_? Let me guess, it's on _chemistry_?"

Realization of what Patton was implying hit Virgil like a cold wind. " _Ew_ , Pat, no! It's not a _date_." Virgil faked a gag, rolling his eyes at the blue-eyed baker's wiggling eyebrows.

"Ya sure?" 

"I'm positive."

"I didn't ask you what your blood type was?"

Virgil snorted, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Seriously, Pat, it's not a date."

"Good," Patton approved. "No one is good enough for my spooky scary skele-son."

Virgil blinked. "Ooookay?"

Patton laughed. "Okay, well, if you're leaving so soon, you can at least let me give you a ride to the library," he offered.

"You don't _have_ to."

"You said you were going to the library, yeah? It's near the way, I have to pick my husband up from work, anyway."

Virgil contemplated the offer before giving in with a polite "Thanks." 

Patton merely beamed. 

* * *

As promised, when Virgil arrived inside the library, Roman was already there, sitting in the exact same spot with a copy of _The Science Of Feelings_ opened in the desk in front of him and a notebook next to it, filled with scribbles and doodles. Roman's attention, however, was on his phone.

Virgil couldn't help but stare. Roman looked _aesthetically pleasing_ to put it lightly. With sunlight pouring in from a window and the shifting lights of the phone in front of him, the boy looked like the vision of warmth and perfection mixed in with a splash of _pretty_.

For the second time since meeting Roman, Virgil caught himself looking at the teen with admiration in his eyes.

He quickly shook his head, retrieved a copy of the book, and sat himself next to Roman. The taller of the two looked at Virgil, recognized him, and beamed.

"Virgil!" The name spilled out of Roman's mouth almost poetically.

"Roman." Virgil couldn't help but notice how much raspier his greeting was. 

"You didn't bring your notebook?" 

Virgil blinked. He stared at Roman's work space. A notebook, a pen, and the book. Oh. Yeah. Students write on stuff. "I forgot." That wasn't _entirely_ a lie. He _did_ forget. "Sorry about that."

Roman shrugged it off with a smile. "No biggie," the teen assured nonchalantly. "I'm fine with sharing today."

Virgil frowned. He needed to find a way to get a notebook.

Roman ripped out a piece of paper from his notebook and handed Virgil a pen from his pockets. Virgil blinked owlishly. How long had it been since he'd written on something for educational purposes? 

"You good there?" Roman asked the question lightheartedly with a smile, but Virgil couldn't help the nervousness filling his veins. 

"Y-Yeah," he lied, staring at the blank piece of paper as of it were taunting his very existence. The monochromatically dressed boy took the pen in his fingers and faced Roman with a forced smile. "So what's the plan?"

Roman grinned excitedly. 

* * *

Virgil's partner left at 6 o'clock with the promise of meeting up again Monday, leaving the young man to himself with nothing but a book in front of him and a ripped out piece of paper on his hand. He examined his notes. 

A displeased look crossed Virgil's face when he stared at the writing.

The letters didn't look like Roman's fancy and loopy cursive writing. They looked messy and uneven and scrawled all over the place. Virgil compared it to how Patton would write whenever he was in a hurry or particularly excited about something. 

He liked the comparison to Patton but he didn't like how his best try at writing neatly was at the same level of how Patton wrote when he wasn't trying.

He cringed when he tried reading the notes. He was sure he spelled "frustration" wrong. He was sure he spelled _a lot_ of it wrong. 

However, before he could go down the rabbit hole of bad thoughts like how Roman _surely_ thought he was stupid and illiterate, a hand slammed down on the table in front of him.

Virgil looked up from his notes, startled by the loud _bang_. His nerves spiked.

In front of him, standing intimidatingly with light framing the silhouette like a menacing angel, was a boy, probably a year or two older than him. The left side of the guy's face had a splatter of skin which was much lighter than the rest of him, and Virgil was definitely sure his eyes didn't match color. 

Virgil vaguely remembered a health book he read once on heterochromia, but before he could recall what heterochromia was, the boy in front of him opened his chapped lips.

"I know you're lying."

Horror overtook his senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sxgdgx that was a chapter h uh
> 
> i really feel like the characters right now aren't that,,,, 3-d and i wanna work on that because theyre as plain as pizza without any toppings. a sad, circular, piece of dough 
> 
> anyway!! yeah-  
> im happy with how some of its going but i hope ur enjoying this so far! i know i am :)
> 
> ily   
> alex


	3. Chapter Three: A Lesson In Surprise

When Virgil was young, he vaguely remembered an adult telling him the definition of "surprise."

The memory was hazy, but it stuck with him. "Surprise is spelled s-u-r-p-r-i-s-e," a distant voice reminded him. He couldn't tell if it was feminine or masculine or androgynous. It was just _familiar_.

Virgil questioned the logic behind that. How can you tell if something is familiar if you can't even remember it?

"Okay," another voice replied. Virgil found the voice belonging to him, only shriller and more drawled. He was seven years old again.

"Surprise is like shock, but more brief. Brief means shorter, kind of."

"Surprise is bad?" 

"Not always. Surprise can be good, like if you're getting a surprise birthday," the faceless human made jazz hands in front of younger Virgil. Young Virgil giggled.

In previous recollections of this memory, that was all Virgil remembered. The memory would just cut off there, fading off into static. But this time, the faceless human somehow turned the atmosphere around the memory colder with a frown. The memory didn't fade. It kept going.

"But surprise can also be bad," the voice warned, becoming clearer and more masculine. Virgil fell quiet. "Like if you're caught doing something bad, like breaking a vase or cheating on a test or lying." 

The human, now clearer and clearer than it had ever been in past recollections of the memory, wagged their - no, _his_ \- finger in front of Virgil, grinning wide with honey brown hair and a tan complexion, face riddled with soft freckles. "Don't ever lie, okay, Virgil?"

Virgil felt his head nod, a soft laugh escaping his lips at the man's moving hand in front of him. "Yes, Mr. Thomas."

* * *

"I know you're lying."

Virgil froze. He squinted against the harsh light of the illuminated window to try and find a better look at the boys face standing in front of him. "I- I'm -"

The teen with mismatched eyes and curious, mismatched complexion rolled his eyes, almost amused, and calmly took a seat next to Virgil, in the chair Roman had inhabited less than an hour ago.

"Calm down, doll face." His voice was honey dripping down like rain drops to a pavement. "I'm not going to say anything about it."

Virgil felt a little calmer, but his nerves still set him off the edge. "I - okay." He searched his throat for more words, but there was nothing else to be found. Instead, he subjected himself to staying silent.

The boy in front of him smirked innocently at Virgil's awkwardness and rested his head on his right hand. The gesture seemed so relaxed and nonthreatening, it made Virgil squirm. "You gonna say more?"

Virgil pursed his lips. He thought for a while before opening his mouth. "What do you, uhm, want?" He asked.

A contemplative pause before the suspicious answer. "The best for you."

In an attempt to sound witty and unintimidated, Virgil copied the boy's words, "You, uh, gonna say more?" He cringed at how uncertain his words were.

The guy laughed nonetheless, like Virgil was a long time friend. "Funny," he praised. Virgil couldn't help but feel proud just a _little_ bit. "But, sure, I'll keep talking." He offered Virgil a nice grin. "Something tells me you're not that much of a talker."

He raised his head from his hand and faced Virgil, freezing the teen in black and purple in place with a stare. It wasn't like the different colored eyes were _glaring_ at Virgil, but the boy's eyes just had something in them that kept Virgil's attention to a standstill. Virgil couldn't remember the last time he was so focused on someone.

"Do you - " the older teen waved a hand and twirled it, subtly pointing at Virgil " -want to be my friend?"

Virgil didn't think it was possible to be more frozen than he already was, but he managed. "Wh- What?"

The guy shrugged. "Do you wanna be my friend," he repeated. The words spilled from his mouth naturally and without hesitation. A waterfall of calm and soothing honey.

Virgil squinted his eyes in caution and suspicion. "So, that's it? No ulterior motive? No bigger plan?"

His company looked around confusedly before shrugging. "Not that I can think of?"

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows. "Okay, so let me get this straight - " he noticed the boy next to him stifle a chuckle " -you, a person I've never met before, invite yourself over, go 'I know you're lying-" 

"Oh, please, you're a terrible liar, you really shouldn't blame me for that one." Virgil raised an eyebrow. The other rolled his eyes. "You stutter when you're caught off guard or lying. You have the biggest tell when you lie, honestly."

Virgil turned red. "I do _not_!" He protested. 

The taller teen laughed. "Trust me, I've lived on the streets since the eighth grade, it's easy to tell when people are lying and I don't even have to try to know when you are."

Virgil's eyebrow arched. "Lived on the streets?"

The guy waved a dismissive hand. "Long story. Not homeless anymore, though."

"Oh. Well, still." Virgil tried his best at a glare to the boy, but by the unbothered expression on the boy's face, he guessed it didn't work. "You come up to me acting shady from the moment you slam your hand down, and you're asking me to be your... friend."

The unnamed teen moved his eyes in a thinking motion before nodding, completely oblivious to how suspicious their meeting was. "Yes, basically."

Virgil stared. 

The stranger sighed. "Look, thing is, I see you outside the shelter sometimes. I don't make friends much, and I figured, 'Wow, I was also dependent on homeless shelters and the local gym to live, we could, I don't know, bond about that or something.' What's your situation?"

He looked at the person he was speaking to up and down, lingering at the marks on his skin separating his face. It vaguely reminded Virgil of a two faced god he'd heard of somewhere. Something about the way the guy talked reminded Virgil of someone he could trust. Virgil's emotions were a mix of confusion and anxiety.

"Street rat," Virgil answered hesitantly. He refused to meet his company's eyes.

"Is it tough?"

"When is it never?"

"That's fair. So?"

"So what?"

Virgil looked over to the boy next to him. The boy rolled his eyes once more, once again reminding Virgil of how old friends interact. Somehow, that gesture of familiarity Virgil never had really ever been a part of made the homeless boy feel warm. Like he was included in something.

The other boy continued. "Will you be my friend?" He stuck a hand out for a handshake. The expression on his face was entirely calm. Too cool for Virgil's liking.

Virgil stared at the hand contemplatively before taking it. "Okay." He shook the hand. The two shared a smile, Virgil's more cautious and the other's more enthusiastic. "My name's Virgil."

The teen let himself think before replying in turn. "You can call me Deceit. Dee for short. Everyone does."

* * *

The bell of the bakery rang as Virgil stepped inside, followed by his new acquaintance, Deceit. The smell of freshly baked bread and brewed coffee wafted into Virgil's nose, making him inhale the smell instinctively. Behind him, Dee ranted about something Virgil wasn't paying attention to. 

From behind the counter, Patton's baby blue eyes met Virgil's own two caramel ones. Patton excitedly exited the counter and tackled Virgil in another warm hug. Virgil let out a small laugh. "Hey, Pat."

"New friend?" Patton asked as he pulled away from the hug. He smiled warmly at Deceit which made the boy in the golden yellow sweater and black jeans squirm in place.

Virgil offered a smile. "Yeah."

A friend. Huh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sgxhsgxs idk
> 
> i honestly,,,,, just want the story to move along ngl. i have a lot of things planned but before that this has to be written and its not the best chapter so far i guess
> 
> anyway yeah sgsgzgs i hope u enjoyed lol
> 
> ilyyyy,  
> alex


	4. Chapter Four: To Take Opportunities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FSHZGGSZ OK SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE. im kinda bad at self control and like,,,, instead of updating this i made an entirely different multific sherlock fic lol literally stop me
> 
> anyway this chapter was kinda hard to crank out like u know that feeling when u realize "oh wow the good part wont be here yet" and u just aimlessly write the parts than happen before the part you're waiting to write?? this chapter is that. it was really fun to write tho, even if it was difficult!!! and i hope u enjoy it :)))

"You realize you can't possibly expect to understand everything you're lying about if you don't even understand what it is, right?"

Virgil shot Deceit an annoyed look. The two were in Dee's little apartment, a place Virgil had grown more and more familiar to since finally trusting Deceit enough to accept the older boy's generous offer of letting the teen sleep in his beat up apartment.

Currently, the teen in black and yellow lounged on a beat up couch while the boy in black and purple sat on the floor, tapping a pencil to his chin in thought.

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned quietly. "It's not like I can enroll either." He snorted at the idea, imagining how the exchange would go: _Oh, hey, my name's Virgil, I have no home, parents, or guardians, and I live on the streets. Get me on the student roster._

Deceit shrugged. "You don't have to be enrolled to get into a class," he suggested calmly. Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Just buy a uniform and get into the class. Say you're on a free period or something. They'll let you in, lickety split."

Virgil contemplated the idea before shaking his head. "Too nervous for that. And I can't buy a uniform." 

Virgil's company sat up and fixed Virgil with a stare. "How many things do you think you're missing out on because you think you're too nervous for it?"

Virgil tried hard to avert rye contact but Dee's eyes were the same commanding pair of circles as they were when the boys first met. Virgil swallowed. "I don't know," he answered truthfully.

Deceit shrugged, getting back on his position on the couch. "I mean, take your pace on what you want to do, but we're young, Virgil. We have our thirties to be boring."

Deceit was very persuasive. 

Virgil bit his lip before letting out a breath of air. "Sure," he said. "Suppose I do it." Deceit lazily turned his gaze back to Virgil. "Suppose I want to do it. I still won't have money to get a uniform. I barely had any place to go before two days ago. I live on your couch, Dee."

Deceit shrugged. He threw an empty juice box at Virgil jokingly. "Get a job, freeloader," He joked. "Take note of how calling you 'freeloader' was the joke, not encouraging you to get a job. You, like, actually need one."

Virgil snorted. "You say that as if there's tons of places in the city that have 'Wanted: homeless boy who can work for literally any amount of money' on their windows."

The boy nodded in agreement. "You're right."

They stayed in silence for a while, the only sound being the whizzing of cars passing by outside Deceit's apartment on the second story. Suddenly, Deceit brightened up.

"How's about your dad?"

Virgil looked at Deceit blankly. "I don't have one," he said dryly.

Deceit rolled his eyes. "Not the one in your sob story," he clarified. "The bakery guy. Gave me that free cookie. Payton or something."

"Patton?"

"Yeah, him. Your dad."

"Not my dad."

"Could have fooled me."

"Whatever. What about him?"

"He would hire you in a heartbeat," Dee pointed out. "Warm company. He's more likely to metaphorically... buy what you're selling, if you get me."

Virgil felt unsure about the idea. "I don't know...."

"It'll benefit the both of you," Deceit continued. "He liked hanging out with you, and working with you will benefit your mental health because he obviously brings you joy. Plus cash."

"For school."

"Yes, Virgil, for school." Deceit rolled his eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time. "I'm not suggesting you go get a job and spend the money you get from it in a club or anything."

Virgil laughed at that, earning a satisfied smile from Deceit.

"So," Virgil recapped, "you want me to ask Patton for a job, get myself in a school without enrolling, and...?"

"I'm sure you'll be breaking, like, a law or something."

"Great." Virgil frowned. His throat felt dry.

Deceit turned to look at him, analyzing his facial features. He sighed. "I don't want to pressure you into anything," he said, voice genuine. "I'm just saying, sleep on it."

* * *

"You want a job?"

The baker's eyes looked confused as he stared deep into Virgil's own eyes. Virgil tried not to look suspicious. "Y-Yeah," he stuttered. "I just, I don't know, thought with the summer coming up, I want a head start on this summer jobs thing."

"School break isn't til two months, Virgil," Patton pointed out. "Do you want that much of a head start?"

Virgil remembered one of Dee's comments. _"Flattery," the mysterious boy had said, "it will get you everywhere."_

He mustered up his courage and did his best to plaster a smile on his face. "I just figured, since your bakery's pretty cool, a lot of other students would actually be lining up to work a summer job here. I wanted to be first in line." Virgil laughed, hiding his nervousness.

Patton laughed a "dad-who-has-just-been-complimented" laugh, waving a dismissive hand at the compliment, smile plastered on his sun kissed face.

"That's awfully nice of you, Virge!" Patton tapped a finger on his chin in thought before sighing and smiling. "Oh, all right, you can work here, but you have to fill out an application first. You'll be hired, don't worry, it's just so we know who to call during an emergency and all that adult stuff."

A sigh of relief exited Virgil. He gave Patton a polite smile and nodded. "Thank you so much, Pat."

"It's really no problem at all, kiddo. After all, more time with you, right?"

Virgil smiled, eyes soft. "Right."

* * *

The teen stared at the papers in front of him - one being a job application Dee had taken the liberty of filling out (with his address and phone number, seeing as Virgil had _neither_ of those), and another short stack placed neatly in a blue folder. 

He gestured to the folder. "What's that one."

Deceit, munching on a handful of chips, chewed and swallowed. "School papers," he answered. "If any staff or students asks you, my name is Daniel Ceit, I work at the local homeless shelter, and I'm - How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Okay. And I'm 38 years old."

"Daniel Ceit, local shelter, 38. Got it. Why do I need to know this again."

"As far as the school roster knows, I'm your uncle and after your parents - Emily and Ian Ceit- vanquished in a _horrible_ fire, I've been in charge of you."

Virgil let out an incredulous laugh. "You're kidding."

"It's too risky to actually have you just sneak in the school," Dee explained, shrugging nonchalantly. "And it's not like I'm old enough to act as your legal guardian. So logically speaking, acting as your uncle is the next best thing."

Virgil let out another laugh, this one more genuine but still with a touch of incredulousness. "You're _joking_!" He couldn't keep the grateful smile out of his face.

Deceit looked at him with a small smirk. "It was just _shit_ raising such an ill mannered child," he joked. Virgil pushed Dee's shoulder, laughing. "God, my nephew's mistreatment is a _nightmare."_

"Shut up, old man!" Virgil laughed. "You're, like - what did you say it was? - forty?"

"I'm _thirty-eight_ , asshole, respect your elders."

"You literally will not pass for that old."

"You'd be surprised how trusting some people are."

"Yeah, but actually, go to sleep early tonight. You have school Monday and, as your acting uncle, I will not tolerate your sleep deprived habits under this roof."

The older of the two turned to move to his own room, turning the lights in his shabby living room off.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But, uhm, Dee?"

"Hm?"

"You've been a full bitch for the week that I've been with you, and I'm pretty sure you've broken like seventeen laws this week, but you're, uh, pretty _cool_ , man."

Dee turned to him and let out a soft smile. "Thanks, loser."

"You're a shit uncle."

"You're an even more shit nephew."

"You take that back."

"Never."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And with that, Deceit was gone, disappearing into his room, leaving Virgil in the darkness of the living room. Virgil waited until his eyesight adjusted to the darkness before hoisting himself up onto the couch. 

His eyes caught sight of the blue folder and job application for the last time and the teen couldn't help but quirk a smile at the the papers. Virgil let out a sigh and a short, quiet laugh before succumbing to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fhszggsgxd anyway yeah i dont really know what to say lol
> 
> im focusing a bit on deceit and virgil's interactions and i didnt really notice until now lol im just trying really hard to define their relationship because i want them to be friends but i also want a touch of "big brother" in there u know??? like idk lol,,,,,,,,,,,
> 
> anyway uhhhhh i don't have anything else to say,,,,  
> uhm i hope u enjoyed and ily and have a great day!!!
> 
> ily very much,  
> alex

**Author's Note:**

> I've been toying with this idea for a while now, and Ive been having a fun time getting it written so I'm glad i went with it! I hope you have a greater time reading than I am writing it.
> 
> Please don't forget to review the story. It really helps my self esteem, and it also helps me improve too! I'm always a slut for that constructive criticism. 10/10 would compliment again!
> 
> I also have a Tumblr (https://skittlesun.tumblr.com) which you should follow because I crave attention and more followers gives me the feeling of validation. dont be afraid to message me either, so come for a chat and id be happy to talk!
> 
> Til next time!   
> ily,  
> -alex


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